Italy in late October: location suggestions and swimming

I would not count on being able to enjoy swimming at that time of year, but of course some people do not mind cold water and sometimes weather anomalies occur.
I would figure out where you can most easily fly to Zurich (I don't think you have time for overland travel) and work from there if you are trying to maximize warm weather--which would be in the south.
Or, you could work in a little Switzerland time via Milan. Lucerne is a nice stopover en route to Zurich.

Exactly how many NIGHTS do you have?

You will need to be in Zurich for at least 1 night before departure flight so that reduces your “ 8 days” or “week” by one already

I doubt you’ll find anywhere warm enough to swim and Amalfi is pretty far from Zurich.

I’d stick to northern Italy
Maybe a few nights in Bologna/Emilia Romagna region then head north to a lake working your way to Zurich.

Where do you fly IN to?

Roughly 7 nights. We’re starting in Barcelona the weekend of October 20-22 to visit friends, and will likely fly from Barcelona to Italy on Monday the 23. We haven’t decided on a destination to fly into, so we’re completely open in this regard. We depart from Zurich on October 31, so we will probably take a train to Switzerland on October 30 at the latest. I’m very interested in the idea of a stopover on the way to Zurich too, I’ve never been to Switzerland.

My hope for this trip was alps and beach, but we were originally planning to go in early October and it didn’t work out. If time of year isn’t ideal for either I’m open to alternative suggestions, especially if other areas of Italy really shine in late October.

Maybe you have your heart set on Italy despite not having any destinations in mind, but if I were in your shoes with a week at my disposal, I'd consider a road trip out of Barcelona, and then fly to Zurich from there.
Otherwise, you could pick one place in central-northern Italy that interests you (endless options) and then do a stopover in Switzerland. The season ends in late October in many of the mountain destinations, but last year I had stunningly good weather at that time.

There are 2 locations in October that I’d recommend Sicily or Ischia.

Ischia would entail the least travel time.

BCN-NAP is 1H50min. Vueling Air
Ferry ride to Ischia 1 hour. Beautiful thermal parks + a beach with thermal springs.

NAP- ZRH 2H 05 min. Easyjet

Both flights are very inexpensive.

You might just manage a swim in Sicily late October. Then fly north.

This may or may not appeal to you: https://www.discovertuscany.com/maremma/thermal-baths-of-saturnia.html
You would most likely need to rent a car to get to Saturnia, however. We will be in Tuscany in October and found that renting a car from our home country (US) was far cheaper than going directly through an Italian/European car rental service. Hope you get your toes in the water somewhere in Italy at least!

Hi there, some good suggestions above, IF you really wanted to be in Italy at a beach, I would add my vote to Ischia, very easy to get into & out of Naples with a short taxi ride to the harbor, to take a ferry there. (I took a very chilly swim on May 1st in Amalfi, it was cold.) But that eats up most of a day flying from Barcelona, then you eat up most of another day flying to Zurich. That leaves you 5 days on the ground, excluding 'being in the Alps' which frankly it is too late in the season for reliably good weather. You could just spend the time in Ischia and Naples, which is a very fun, slightly chaotic city with wonderful food & a lot to see!

I understand your dates changed, so am just going to put it out there that late October is not a time when beach destinations, (except dipping your toes in the ocean & taking walks, THAT would be great because, hey hardly any tourists) or the Alps will 'really shine', which you said was also important! I would head to the library (or any large bookstore) with the BF & sit down with a stack of guide books to look at destinations. Late October is a great time to travel with far fewer tourists, good luck!

Thanks everyone for the recommendations! I’ll definitely look into Ischia, and the thermal baths of Saturnia look incredible! I would love to visit Sicily but I agree, it may not be the best choice for time purposes.

Does anyone have experience with the lakes region in late October? Or, putting aside my original desire to take a dip in the Med, are there other areas in Italy you’d recommend instead for that time of year?

I have not done this route, but how about?

Fly BCN to Milan.
Spend a day or two in Milan, OR go right to Lake Maggiore from airport. Stay there a day or so.
Take train from your chosen town on Lake Maggiore into Switzerland, could be anywhere you wish.
Spend a few days ....then train to Lucerne for your final day, before leaving from Zurich. I believe Lucerne is only 1 hour or so from the Zurich airport.

Everything you want to know about Ischia.

https://www.ischiareview.com/things-to-see-in-ischia.html

How to get around in Ischia.

https://www.ischiareview.com/buses-in-ischia.html

The lidos at Isola Bella in Taormina are open through October, FYI. And the airport in Catania Sicily has some nonstop flights to zurich and lots of nonstop flights to Milan.